This Animal, In These Parts,
Sometimes Exceeds Seventeen Foot Long.
It is impossible to kill them
with a Gun, unless you chance to hit them about the Eyes,
which
Is a much softer Place, than the rest of their impenetrable Armour.
They roar, and make a hideous Noise against bad Weather,
and before they come out of their Dens in the Spring. I was pretty much
frightened with one of these once; which happened thus: I had built a House
about half a Mile from an Indian Town, on the Fork of Neus-River,
where I dwelt by my self, excepting a young Indian Fellow, and a Bull-Dog,
that I had along with me. I had not then been so long a Sojourner
in America, as to be throughly acquainted with this Creature.
One of them had got his Nest directly under my House, which stood on
pretty high Land, and by a Creek-side, in whose Banks his Entring-place was,
his Den reaching the Ground directly on which my House stood.
I was sitting alone by the Fire-side (about nine a Clock at Night,
some time in March) the Indian Fellow being gone to the Town,
to see his Relations; so that there was no body in the House
but my self and my Dog; when, all of a sudden, this ill-favour'd
Neighbour of mine, set up such a Roaring, that he made the House shake
about my Ears, and so continued, like a Bittern, (but a hundred times louder,
if possible) for four or five times.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 183 of 377
Words from 52749 to 53010
of 110081
